BCG Spine - Construction
Let me tell you a little bit about Black's Longboard Construction. We have this little hidden secret within each of our DH/FR decks called the BCG SPINE!! Do you know how long it took to come out with something really unique in the Longboard World? There are only so many ways to build a longboard deck right? WRONG! That's why longboarding is such an interesting sport. You can do something other than just change the graphic on the bottom of a street deck to make it different. Instead, you can change the shape, design, concave, contour, drop, drop-thru, rocker, mounting, kicks, pedals, W/B, length, width, waist, hips, etc. All of this is to try to get an edge in the sport. After years of testing different materials, wood, glass, fibers, plastics and cloths using different techniques we feel like we have finally done what we set out to do. Our goal was to make a very unique and versatile deck in both design and construction. We finally feel we have created something for the longboard world that we can be extremely proud of and that is worth taking a look at. It's not your stereotypical longboard.
The BCG Spine stands for Bamboo Carbon Glass. Let me start with the Bamboo. The center core of our board is multiple layers of bamboo epoxied together. Bamboo is great because it is eco-friendly, extremely light, and durable. The durability comes from the millions of bamboo fibers that make up one layer of bamboo. Unlike hard woods like maple, bamboo doesn't have the tendency to split but rather dent when it comes in contact with a curb after a missed toe side drift. For this reason the board holds up much better to the demands of serious skating. The bamboo is then sandwiched in between a 6 inch piece of dense Carbon Fiber on the top of the deck and a 3 inch piece of Carbon Fiber between the bottom two layers of bamboo. Carbon Fiber is extremely light and stiff when mixed with epoxy. This layering of the Carbon creates a "Super V" for rigidity and balance when the rider stands on the board. This Carbon runs all the way through the board and because we don't wrap the carbon around the board it is completely protected and will not brake. Carbon fibers are subject to break when it is exposed and not protected . Just ask anyone who has purchased a board with carbon fiber wrapped around a foam core. It only takes one hit and it's over.
Now to the Glass or fiberglass. Tri axle fiberglass is used in all of our boards because it offers strength in every direction. This fiberglass in combination with a strong marine grade epoxy makes for a stiff board while still allowing the board to flex under hard landings without breaking the board and springing back into place for a comfortable landing. The fiberglass within the board sandwiches the carbon fiber and bamboo, thereby protecting them and infusing them all together for added strength.
The last part of the BCG Spine is the Spine. The Spine is the bottom layer of the board's core made out of bamboo. It acts just like a spine in the human body, it adds strength in all the right places. Because it is a spine and only runs down the center of the board it shaves off a lot of weight from the deck while still keeping it stiff. Another cool feature the spine offers is natural wheel wells. Because of the thicker center and gradual tapering you are able to put bigger wheels on the deck without getting wheel bite. Last of all is the sublimated art work that is incased within the board creating a life long graphic on the board that won't get worn off during your life time.
That's the BCG Spine in a nut shell.